Today’s top stories in the morning papers in Korea (June 14, 2016)

Round-up: Today’s top stories in the morning papers in Korea (June 14, 2016)

1. In a first speech during the 20th National Assembly in South Korea, President Park Geun-hye urged for ‘labor reform’ and ‘creative economy.’ Political pundits warned that the government operation will face a series of conflicts if the president does not accept the reality, in which the ruling party is outnumbered by its opposition.

She repeats the same story over and over again. She is pursuing her way, no matter what.

2. Lee Suk-woo, the chairperson of ‘Community Media Foundation’, allowed a son of his university alumni who was not qualified for the new graduate recruit in last June. There was a statement that the chairperson eliminated all candidates from the southwestern region of South Korea during the final process of selection.

Community Media Foundation is a state-owned corporation. Does he believe that it is a private company?

3. According to a high school newsletter, students go on a school trip to overseas such as Cambodia and China. Some students cannot afford to go overseas as the fee is over 1,000 US dollars.

The school trip is a part of education. Do schools have to go abroad? What is the Ministry of Education doing now?

4. According to OECD, the biggest rise in mortality rate from air pollution by the year 2060 is forecast in Korea. With 1,109 premature deaths in one million population, Korea ranks the top of the OECD member countries.

As an OECD member, South Korea may lay itself open to ridicule and dishonor, not pride. Let’s withdraw from the OECD.

5. The Ministry of Employment and Labor unveiled the names of 116 business owners who habitually delayed the payment of wages. The names can be found in the official gazettes and homepage of the Ministry of Labor (open information → open the name of business owners).

Please check the homepage and find out what they sell. We should not buy their products.

6. A Jeonse loan is increased to 3.5 trillion Korean Won (350 billion US dollars) from January to May this year. The jeonse affordability crisis coupled with jeonse rise, jeonse loan increase, and interest rate drop, household debt is expected to increase.

Both buying a home and living in a jeonse home owe to banks. Ordinary people have nothing left.

7. A local builder in Gyeongnam Province paid the overdue payment of wages of 4.4 million Korean Won (4,400 US dollars) to foreign workers in 22,802 coins. The builder prepared 17,505 coins of 100 Won (10 cents), 5,297 coins of 500 Won (50 cents) by visiting six branches of banks for three hours.

The cost of construction should be paid in coins to this builder. In a dump truck with full of coins.